The V word.

(This is a direct translation of a Facebook update I wrote in Swedish, after once again having stumbled upon such incredibly derogatory comments about and to those who dare question the consequences or affects of vaccines.)

I feel sick with fear over what kind of comments this update might bring, but I can not be silent anymore. And I will say this now: I am not going to debate vaccination here. And I will not tolerate disparaging remarks either. This is for me a question of how to treat and talk to one's fellow human beings. Something that seems to lose all value when it comes to the discussion of vaccines. I am so shocked at how (what should be) civilised people seem to completely forget what they say they themselves stand for: equal rights, tolerance, respect, understanding, compassion, open discussion, peace. Suddenly it's more than okay and acceptable to call others idiots, ridicule them, speak aggressively and even threaten. Suddenly it becomes completely okay with zero tolerance, zero respect, zero understanding, zero compassion, zero open discussion. Instead, it's war. Us against them. (Has "us against them" ever done anyone any good?) The fact is, that there are parents whose children have been negatively affected by vaccines, even lost a child. There are parents whose whole being screams to not vaccinate. There are parents with different values, parents who have read more than one article on the Internet, parents who vaccinated child number one and chose not to vaccinate child number two. My point is, how ever important an issue is, we can not forget to try and understand each other, to empathise, to have respect and compassion for each other. Trying to silence or affect others through demeaning comments, aggressive speech, coercion, pressure and bullying is never right way - however noble one's cause may be.
Make love not war. Always.


Love and respect,

Carolina